Complaints
This profile includes complaints for John The Plumber's headquarters and its corporate-owned locations. To view all corporate locations, see
Customer Complaints Summary
- 9 total complaints in the last 3 years.
- 6 complaints closed in the last 12 months.
If you've experienced an issue
Submit a ComplaintThe complaint text that is displayed might not represent all complaints filed with BBB. Some consumers may elect to not publish the details of their complaints, some complaints may not meet BBB's standards for publication, or BBB may display a portion of complaints when a high volume is received for a particular business.
Initial Complaint
Date:09/09/2025
Type:Service or Repair IssuesStatus:ResolvedMore info
Complaint statuses
- Resolved:
- The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.
- Unresolved:
- The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.
- Answered:
- The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.
- Unanswered:
- The business failed to respond to the dispute.
- Unpursuable:
- BBB is unable to locate the business.
We were told of a diagnostic fee to send technician out for our leaking bathtub faucet. Without even taking out any tools, taking apart any peices or looking closely at the problem physically, as if he could see through walls, he told my wife that it was a valve stem assembly issue. For the technician to just stand there with his "X-Ray vision." and see through the wall and tell us a problem does not warrant an $88.14 charge. He physically did not do anything. I called from work eventually got a hold of someone, who basically explained that I paid for his gas and expertise.l, and then rambled on for 20mins57sec, defending the technician and trying to tell me that the alternative would be $299 fix and/or $1100+ redo of our bath/shower in which they can't use the existing set up and would have to cut tile and install a new setup/arrangement of faucet system. He even went into taking about water softners and Reliance Home Comfort business. I just want my fee back because the tech did literally nothing, didnt poke around, show examples of the problem by removing the faucet handles or anything, my wife even offered to remove it for him. Make me believe you are working , and im not just paying for your gas as the *** on the phone used as his excuse for the charge *** for ****** stand in my bathroom. I've never had any technician ever in my home, who hasn't at least taken out 1 tool and poke around a bit, showing us where we were right or wrong *** explain why.Business Response
Date: 11/09/2025
It is my understanding that we had resolved this issue. If it wasn't resolved people call the office so we can speak directly.Customer Answer
Date: 11/09/2025
Better Business Bureau:
I have spoken to the buissness directly and after we left a 1 star review on ******, the elected to refund our initial fee if we took down the 1 star review, which we did. They mentioned it will take up to 10 buissness days to refund us their fee, which we are looking forward to receiving.
****** *********Initial Complaint
Date:29/07/2025
Type:Billing IssuesStatus:AnsweredMore info
Complaint statuses
- Resolved:
- The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.
- Unresolved:
- The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.
- Answered:
- The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.
- Unanswered:
- The business failed to respond to the dispute.
- Unpursuable:
- BBB is unable to locate the business.
The company charges me $1,031,61 for changing four faucets at home. They refused to send me a price breakdown. Just an invoice. I demand they revise the invoice and refund me for the extra charges.Business Response
Date: 30/07/2025
As we discussed, our pricing is based on a flat-rate model, which includes all aspects of the job: labour, parts, licensing, insurance, training, and the overhead required to maintain a qualified team and responsive office staff. We dont itemize costs for individual parts or labour hours because our pricing reflects the total cost of providing reliable, professional plumbing services.
We understand this may be frustrating, and we genuinely apologize if this caused any confusion. Thats why we ensure our plumbers review the pricing with customers before beginning work and collect a signature on the invoice once the job is complete.
We appreciate your feedback, and were always looking for ways to improve our service and communication.Customer Answer
Date: 30/07/2025
Complaint: 23672309
I am rejecting this response because:
The technician did not go over the price breakdown with me. Your company has multiple complaints about pricing. I request the billing be revised.
Sincerely,
***** ******Business Response
Date: 30/07/2025
Please check you email as we have sent you the updated invoice.Customer Answer
Date: 31/07/2025
Complaint: 23672309
I am rejecting this response because:I have not received the aforementioned updated invoice. Please resend.
Sincerely,
***** ******Initial Complaint
Date:21/07/2025
Type:Service or Repair IssuesStatus:ResolvedMore info
Complaint statuses
- Resolved:
- The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.
- Unresolved:
- The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.
- Answered:
- The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.
- Unanswered:
- The business failed to respond to the dispute.
- Unpursuable:
- BBB is unable to locate the business.
In mid-January, I contracted the company to perform some work on my dad**;s home, who**;s basement home was flooded due to a busted pipe. I paid the deposit via a certified check. Communication has been hit or miss as they haven**;t scheduled any actual date that they would come out to work. I spoke with someone named *****, who claimed to be a manager, on May 22nd who agreed that if they have not performed any work, then we are entitled to a refund. Since then whenever I would contact the office back to speak with ***** about the refund, I would get the runaround from the other people in the office. I find this to be unprofessional as I**;ve been dealing with this since the begin of this year and no work has been done after I paid them $6582.91.Business Response
Date: 30/07/2025
Please give the office a call as I cannot find your file under this name or address. I am happy to chat with you and try and find a solution but I cannot reach you as I don't know the entire situation without seeing the file holders name.Customer Answer
Date: 05/08/2025
Complaint: 23630990
I am rejecting this response because:
they have all of our information. There was a voicemail left on my father's phone and said she would wants to discuss and would call back on Monday. She has not called back since then. They were not returning our phone calls and nonstop games. We want our deposit back. They have everything. We want to pick up our check and be done with it.
Sincerely,
Zuzanna StarzynskaBusiness Response
Date: 05/08/2025
We have been trying to contact you. The Plumber and I have reached out. We want to talk to you Father as he is the one who is the file holder. Have him contact me today or tomorrow we will give the deposit back.Customer Answer
Date: 08/08/2025
Complaint: 23630990
I am rejecting this response because they have all of our information. There was a voicemail left on my father's phone and said she would wants to discuss and would call back on Monday. She has not called back since then. They were not returning our phone calls and nonstop games. We want our deposit back. They have everything. We want to pick up our check and be done with it.
Sincerely,
Zuzanna StarzynskaCustomer Answer
Date: 08/08/2025
I agree to do mediation.Business Response
Date: 19/08/2025
I have spoken with Your Father and this issue has been resolved.Customer Answer
Date: 28/08/2025
Better Business Bureau:
I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me.
Sincerely,
******* **********Initial Complaint
Date:07/07/2025
Type:Service or Repair IssuesStatus:AnsweredMore info
Complaint statuses
- Resolved:
- The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.
- Unresolved:
- The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.
- Answered:
- The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.
- Unanswered:
- The business failed to respond to the dispute.
- Unpursuable:
- BBB is unable to locate the business.
On May 29, 2025, John the Plumber sent ****** to our house to install a preventative backwater valve in our basement. We agreed to the service because the City of ****** offers $1000 in rebates to homeowners for preventative plumbing services and John the Plumber promised assistance with the rebate process.This exact text (in quotes) was taken from the Jobber quote issued by John the Plumber: "Rebate Assistance: Recognizing the investment you've made in safeguarding your property, we provide additional value through guidance in accessing applicable city rebates. Our team assists you with the necessary paperwork and procedures, potentially offsetting a portion of your investment and adding to the overall value of our service."On May 26, 2025, 3 days before the service, I called ***** ***** to inquire about the rebate process and find out what I had to do ahead of the service to apply for the rebate. She said that the plumbers would walk me through that process on May 29.On May 29, 2025, ****** *****, the plumber in charge of the work said he could not help me with this because he isn't a homeowner and does not know anything about the rebate process.Since May 29, I have been sending emails to the office manager ***** ***** and calling the office and leaving messages to resolve this issue directly and sort out the rebate process, which involved getting permits and inspections ahead of time in order to qualify for the rebates. My emails and phone calls are unanswered. No matter what time of day I call, the phone goes directly to voicemail. Having already built a relationship with this company over the past 2 years, it is unusual for them to not answer the phone. John the Plumber misled us into approving work despite the fact that we clearly stated that we would only approve it if it qualified for rebates.Customer Answer
Date: 17/07/2025
July 17/25: In the time since my complaint was submitted, ***** ***** left a voicemail indicating that she wanted to come to a resolution. She is often busy or otherwise unable to discuss this (as per the email attachment). Failed attempts to reach her is what led to a complaint being filed in the first place. I prefer to mediate this issue through the BBB rather than through ***** privately due to a lack of trust in this business.Business Response
Date: 12/08/2025
Weve tried to connect with you several times to explain how the *** programs work, as the rebate application process has recently changed. In the past, our plumbers could assist directly with these applications, but the process is now designed for clients to complete and file on their own.
We apologize for any miscommunication on our part and would be happy to discuss this further to see how we can help you move forward.Customer Answer
Date: 14/08/2025
Complaint: 23564614
I am rejecting this response because:This is directly from the quote issued in April 2025:
"Rebate Assistance: Recognizing the investment you've made in safeguarding your property, we provide additional value through guidance in accessing applicable city rebates. Our team assists you with the necessary paperwork and procedures, potentially offsetting a portion of your investment and adding to the overall value of our service."I asked about this several times ahead of the work being done and was told that I would be assisted the day of. The company had many opportunities to tell me "You have to figure this out on your own" ahead of May 29 but never did. Additionally, the City of ****** requires permits to do this work. I asked the company about permitting and ****** told me that none were required because "we do this all the time". That is very shady and misleading.
Because I have hired *** to do so much work around my house over the past 2 years and had absolutely amazing experiences with ******* and ******* (doing QA), I felt that I could trust the company completely when they said I didn't need to worry about anything when it came to the rebates - I was in good hands. If you are putting the above text in your quotes, why would I doubt that you would honour this? How does your response excuse your lies?
If you tried to contact me several times (***** ***** called me once when I was away from my phone and said she would call back the next day - she didn't) just to tell me the process changed, that does not pass muster for addressing a valid complaint.
Sincerely,
****** ******Initial Complaint
Date:04/02/2025
Type:Service or Repair IssuesStatus:AnsweredMore info
Complaint statuses
- Resolved:
- The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.
- Unresolved:
- The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.
- Answered:
- The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.
- Unanswered:
- The business failed to respond to the dispute.
- Unpursuable:
- BBB is unable to locate the business.
In October 2024 we required the main plumbing lines in our home to be replaced. We chose 2 plumbers from the Better Business Bureau website, had onsite meetings and calls and got quotes from them. During this research, we had a discussion with John The Plumber (JTP hereafter) with a list of questions, and took note of their answers. One question was if there would be a licensed plumber doing the install to which they confirmed there would be. This was a major factor in us choosing JTP.The cost was $15,128.44 (inc. ***). Per **** request 50% of the cost of the project was paid on November 6, in the amount of $7,564.22 (inc. HST) prior to the work *************** commenced January 5, 2025 with **** ******* running the project and working with two workers (that he mentioned were Apprentices) and continued until January 8, 2025 when we discovered that **** was not a licensed Plumber and therefore there was no licensed plumber on site for the duration of the project. We contacted "Consumer Protection Ontario" who advised us to file a complaint with them since this likely falls under "misrepresentation and unethical practice" and to write to JTP. We did this and also asked that they cease work. *** denied having the conversation with us where we asked for a licensed plumber and said they could finish the work and extend the 2 year warranty to 10 years or have us finish the work and give a 10% discount. Since we were concerned about the work we hired a licensed plumber from the Better Business Bureau site to review JTP's work (at a cost of approx $450). They advised that the whole job needs to be redone since there is improper sloping therefore standing water and the plumbing is worse than before *** did the work. This has caused a lot of inconvenience, stress and time off work and since we need to redo all the work we would like a full refund at the very least. The cost to redo the work is 24k. We will get another quote for comparison.Business Response
Date: 19/02/2025
Thank you for reaching out and providing detailed feedback on your experience. We understand that this has been a stressful situation, and we want to address your concerns transparently and fairly.
First and foremost, in all our documentation and communications, there is no record of a specific request for a licensed plumber to be on-site for the entirety of the project. Had this been requested, we absolutely would have ensured that a licensed plumber was present throughout. **** is highly capable, experienced, and qualified to oversee projects of this nature, and we stand by his expertise.
Additionally, we have made multiple attempts to contact you regarding the camera inspection with your new plumber, as you had suggested. Unfortunately, we have received little to no response from you regarding this matter. We are still more than willing to proceed with this inspection to assess the work and discuss the best path forward.
From the beginning, *** and our team have been actively working to resolve this situation with you. We have made every effort to be accommodating, offering solutions to address your concerns and ensure your satisfaction. Our priority remains to find a fair resolution.
Please let us know how youd like to proceed with the inspection so we can move forward in a constructive way. We are committed to making this right.Initial Complaint
Date:09/09/2024
Type:Order IssuesStatus:AnsweredMore info
Complaint statuses
- Resolved:
- The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.
- Unresolved:
- The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.
- Answered:
- The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.
- Unanswered:
- The business failed to respond to the dispute.
- Unpursuable:
- BBB is unable to locate the business.
We have not paid the company any money.They are claiming that we need $24000 worth of work and asking for half up front, but they refuse to provide a contract.We are scared because they have indicated the matter is urgent, but we can't give them $12000 without a contract.Business Response
Date: 16/09/2024
Hi,
We use a CRM called Jobber. Through Jobber, we create quotes, email them to customers, and from there they must sign the agreement.
I have attached a *** copy of the quote where we discuss the work. This *** is a copy but it differs from the system to which we use for quoting as the software requires a signature, making it a contract.
Initially we were called back in July due to strange smells. We found a pipe that required a cap, so we capped that off. But additionally, thought that the smell may be from inactivity in that pipe. We suggested waiting to see if the smell came back.
We were offering a camera inspection promotion at the same time ($25 for a camera inspection that usually costs much more). The camera inspection showed the plumber that the line was made of cast iron and that it had broken. There were tree roots coming in, as well as water coming in closer to the foundation. There's a possibility of a burst waterline in the ground. Whether it's both the drain pipe with tree roots and a broken water line or just the drain pipe, both situations are considered emergencies in the plumbing world.
If someone is paying for plumbing services out of pocket, we require a 50% deposit for anything over $1500. This is standard practice.
We also provided information for an alternative payment method that does not require a deposit. It's using financing through a third party called FinanceIt who we are affiliated with.
This email was viewed by the customer in the Jobber platform on 09/05/2024.
I've attached 3 screenshots where I created a mock quote so the process can be seen. In screenshot 1, it shows the email with brief details. In the second screenshot, it shows the work that we would do. In this case, it only says Test. But this is where the customer would see the details outlined in the *** I attached of their quote. And, in screen shot 3, you can see where and how they sign the agreement before paying the deposit.
If you have suggestions for how we can improve this system, I'll gladly consider them. But this system requires a signature, which I believe makes it an official agreement between both parties.
Additionally, we're a 5-star company. We are in hundreds of homes a week. We have a stellar reputation. We get the odd bad review, but we do our best to offer world-class service on every experience. Unfortunately, the news we often deliver isn't what people want to hear. It goes with the territory of our industry.
Thank you.
Customer Answer
Date: 16/09/2024
Complaint: 22261519
I am rejecting this response because:
I am rejecting this response because:We are still not being offered a signed contract which details the work that will be done.
We have no problem paying the full amount, the issue is not the cost, the issue is we would be fools to give any company thousands of dollars without a contract signed by them. There are clear expectations for a contract in ******* which we have not been offered. If something went wrong after we hand over the money, without a contract we would be laughed out of court. By law, the lack of a signature would normally suggest that the parties had not yet reached the point where they were agreeing to be bound.A legal contract requires the signature of both parties, the project schedule, and the estimated dates of completion, We were told the company does not give signed contracts.
If they are able to provide a contract, please note the information provided in the pdf is not current as the company was able to arrange with another company to replace the stairs as well.
Sincerely,
******** ******Customer Answer
Date: 31/10/2024
Better Business Bureau:
I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and I would like to move forward with mediation.
Regards,
******** ******/ ***** ****
*******************************
Business Response
Date: 01/11/2024
Better Business Bureau:
I have reviewed the response made by the consumer in reference to complaint ID ********, and I would like to move forward with mediation.
Thank you.
Customer Answer
Date: 05/12/2024
12/5/2024 PE: Email to consumer informing her of mediator assignment. Asked if a resolution had been reached. If not, besides contact by the business and a physical contract, if there was anything else she needed as a resolution. Provided her my CA email to respond as well as the CA phone number.
12/11/2024 PE: Called the consumer and spoke to her husband, *****. Asked for ******** to either call me back (provided the Canadian number) or to respond to the email that was sent 12/5.
12/11/2024 PE: Received email from ******** giving permission to have her husband speak on her behalf.
12/13/2024 PE: Left vm for ***** to speak to him about the specifics of their desired resolution on the case.
12/17/2024 PE: Left vm for ***** and ******** to confirm by email what their desired outcome is. Confirm: a physical contract and contact by the business.
12/20/204 PE: Spoke with ***** about next steps. He is unsure whether or not he and his wife *** want to use the company for the work since they cannot perform the rebuilding of the porch, only the take down. The company would be using subcontractors. He will call back next week to advise after speaking to his wife, ********.
1/14/2025 PE: Left vm for consumer asking for a callback. Inquired as to whether or not they want to move forward with the company to make the repairs.
1/16/2025 PE: Received this vm from the consumer: And indeed we are not proceeding, we are going to drop the whole thing. I do not believe we intend to go forth with We are definitely not going forth with them. We may get the work done eventually, but we will probably start from scratch with a different company and so forth. Feel free to email us perhaps would be the best way to get on with things further. If you have questions, we can answer them so on and so forth, but or call as you wish, been a pleasure.--Wood Ord
Initial Complaint
Date:29/06/2023
Type:Service or Repair IssuesStatus:ResolvedMore info
Complaint statuses
- Resolved:
- The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.
- Unresolved:
- The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.
- Answered:
- The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.
- Unanswered:
- The business failed to respond to the dispute.
- Unpursuable:
- BBB is unable to locate the business.
On May 12/23 I called John the Plumber for a possible clogged toilet.
They sent a plumber that day. I was told that he would try augering and that would cost $250. If that didn't work, he would have to bring the commercial auger which would cost $650. I said ok.
He didn't do an inspection of anything before he started to auger. He tried for an hour with no luck. He then told me he would be back the next day with the more expensive option.
He augeed for 3 hours the next day and still couldn't clear the clog. He called his boss a couple of times. The boss told him to give up, I guess because he packed up his stuff. Before he left he told me they might have to rip up my front lawn at a cost of $15000.
It finally occurred to him just before he left to inspect the pipe he was trying to clear. My house is a century home with some cast pipe. He finally realized that one part of that pipe had crumbled and was clogged at that part.
A competent plumber would have done his due diligence before resorting to expensive options that weren't going to work.
The next day I got an invoice for $791. When I emailed them to inquire about this, I was ignored.
They then sent me a quote to replace 40' of pipe for $4800.
I had two more plumbers give me a quote. I ended up paying only $783 for the replacement of the crumbled cast and the pipe that was clogged. Not the 40' they claimed needed replacing. The pipe that was replaced wasn't anywhere near 40'.
I sent them an email to tell them what had happened. I was called immediately by *******, the office manager, who proceeded to give me excuses as to why competence and due diligence isn't part of their plumbers job. She told me that she had to speak to ***** ******, the plumber that was here and would call me back the next day. That was two weeks ago.
I gave them an opportunity to make it right a couple of times since and they've ignored me.Business Response
Date: 10/07/2023
As discussed, the plumber went out to clear a clogged toilet, the issue that was presented to the plumber. He did discuss the pricing with the client as to what it would cost to do the work. After many hours of work, it was determined that the client had more than just a clogged toilet. The diagnosis was made based on the expertise of the licensed plumber would had dealt with this issue before. The client asked why the plumber took so long to determine that perhaps the issue was in the basement. I advised the client that she presented a clogged toilet, and we attempted to clear that.
Our plumber presented a no obligation quote to repair the issue based on his diagnosis, from what he saw. The client's complaint about the issue not being resolved came in over a month after the work had been completed by our plumber, and she stated the toilet had never been cleared, nor usable since our plumber was there. I did ask the plumber to contact the client to discuss the issue, as he is the expert.
Customer Answer
Date: 10/07/2023
Complaint: 20256078
I am rejecting this response because:Their claim that I waited a month is untrue. I had been in contact with them a week or two later through their website and on the phone, after I had other companies come take a look and give me a quote. They have ignored me since the initial contact. I have the emails to prove it.
*****, the plumber they sent, also didn't secure the toilet on one side and it has been leaking under the flooring. Videos attached. Now, I have to pay someone else fix it. He also sprayed gray water all over the bathroom.
I maintain that competence, due diligence and good business practices are sorely lacking.
Here's a link to all the bad reviews on *************************************************
Sincerely,
******* ****Business Response
Date: 03/08/2023
We would be willing to discuss a partial refund based on the improper reinstallation of the toilet.
Customer Answer
Date: 04/08/2023
Complaint: 20256078
I am rejecting the complaint because;**** ****** issued a full refund of $791 to my credit card yesterday after weeks of me trying to resolve this.
He refused to pay the $284 for the toilet to be reattached by another company as it was left by their plumber just sitting on the floor. It had been leaking under the flooring for weeks.The company took the refund back today and is now trying to offer me a partial refund based on the toilet not being attached after **** telling me that wasn't their responsibility, it was the responsibility of the company that did the pipe replacement. I'm currently discussing my options with my credit card company.
Sincerely,
******* ****Customer Answer
Date: 04/08/2023
****** ******** *******
I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID 20256078, and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me.
Sincerely,
******* ****
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